An Unlikely Twosome
by Rumpleteasza
Summary: A story that mutated out of my last fic, Interlude. Mei Ling and Yue are both suffering in unrequited love for Syaoran and Sakura, but could the separation of Yue and Yukito hold the answer to their troubles? SxS, Yuex?, MeiLingx?
1. Chapter 1

**Rumms:** Well, this is what always happens. I wrote a Mei Ling/Yue story a year ago, swore it wasn't a romance, a habit, or anything else - and then look what happens. I go and start another one.

The truth is, this pairing has really grown on me. You probably all think I'm crazy in this SxS/ExT-centric world, but I see a lot of similarities in these two characters; especially, like I said in my other fic, if you're like me and have a bit of a Yue-Sakura bias. I really don't know where the idea of putting Yue with Mei Ling came from, but it's the most rabid plotbunny I've ever tried to ignore, and in the end I couldn't. So this fic is me, giving in.

You don't necessarily have to read the first ficlet (_Interlude)_ to get into this one, but it probably helps. It's a short one-shot and it just explains the first unexpected bizarre meeting, and subsequent friendship, of Yue and Mei Ling. Another note: I'm aging the characters at around 17 here. My theory was that after the end of the Sakura Cards series, Sakura and Syaoran would naturally not want to be apart for very long, so I imagined he (and often Mei Ling) would spend their holidays in Japan.

So whether you like the idea or think I'm crazy, enjoy! I'm planning this to be longer than _Interlude_ - probably five or six chapters. Oh noes :p Anyway, we'll see. Hope you like it. xxx

* * *

An Unlikely Twosome

* * *

It was an unseasonably hot night for that time of the year. The cloud cover was low, but occasionally wisps of vapour would part to reveal a star or two struggling to shine, or the spiked end of the moon, halfway to waning crescent. The street lamps cast a soft orange glow over the pavement, where two people stood entwined in each other's arms.

Sakura Kinomoto extricated herself from Syaoran Li's embrace, her eyes sleepy, her mouth soft and smiling. "When will I see you next?"

"Soon," smiled her brown-eyed partner. "I need tomorrow to catch up with some work, but may I take you to dinner in the evening?"

"Oh," said Sakura, putting a finger to her lips in a mocking gesture of ponder, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "I don't know. I'm not sure if I can stick seeing you two days in a row."

He laughed and grabbed her round the waist; she shrieked out a giggle, immediately slapping a hand over her mouth as the sound rang out in the quiet night. Syaoran promptly pulled her hand away and captured her lips with his own.

"It's a date, then," he whispered, drawing back and stroking a lock of caramel hair away from her face. With a sigh, he turned towards the door of the apartment building he shared with his cousin.

Sakura looked up at the building with a frown. "Mei Ling's window's dark. That's weird; she's usually such a night-owl."

Syaoran paused, looking slightly perplexed. "Yeah... I don't know if you've noticed, but she's been acting a little strange this month. It must be at least three times now I've heard her come in late – and I mean really late, not just Mei-Ling late. Last week it was after four in the morning."

"What?" Sakura asked, taken aback. "Weren't you worried? She's alright, isn't she?"

"That's the weird thing. She seems fine – better than usual, even. When she's not sleeping half the morning away because she's been out all night, that is."

"Haven't you asked her what she's been doing?" Sakura's voice was high with worry, symptom of the lifelong trait of her total dedication to her friends' wellbeing.

"Of course I have," Syaoran answered with a look of reproach, "but she just said she couldn't sleep and was out walking. I thought about following her next time, but it hasn't happened since then... except tonight."

Sakura hesitated. "Maybe we should go and look for her. She might be in trouble."

"It's only ten now. If she's not home in one hour, I'll go looking," Syaoran promised. He frowned again. "Honestly, I'd like to get to the bottom of it. And…" he broke off, a blush tingeing his cheeks. "We need to tell her… well, everyone… you know, what we decided tonight…"

Sakura blushed to match. "Yes," she whispered. "I can't wait. My father will be so happy…" And she melted into his kiss, as the warm glow from the street lamp cascaded over them.

A block and a half away, someone else was awake and thinking hard about a friend acting oddly. Kero sat on the lintel just above Sakura's bedroom window, staring out into the night. He could never keep tabs on Yue at the best of times, but it seemed strange, even to him, that on a restless midnight fly-about last week he had stumbled upon the most implausible couple he could think of. Mei Ling and Yue, deep in conversation on the moonlit grass of Tomoeda Park.

They hadn't seen him. After a couple of gobsmacked and confused moments, he had gotten a grip on himself and crept closer to hear their voices. To his utmost surprise, they were talking about Syaoran… and Sakura.

Kero knew about Mei Ling's persistent and unfading feelings for the Li boy, of course. There probably wasn't any one left in the world that didn't. But the way Yue had tentatively and cryptically spoken of Sakura had been a revelation to him. Oh, he had had his suspicions, of course – Sakura may have thought her guardian friend only cared about pudding and video games, but Kero had known Yue for an awfully long time and he certainly wasn't blind. He just… hadn't realised the _magnitude_ of the situation.

But still – Mei Ling and Yue? _Mei Ling_ and _Yue?_ If there was an unlikelier twosome, he'd eat his hat. If he had one.

Kero shook his head, not knowing whether to frown or chuckle. He had a strange feeling that Yukito's house would be empty tonight, and Mei Ling's window would be dark.

* * *

They weren't on the lawn. They were in the bandstand by the ornamental lake, the faint moonlight only barely illuminating their chosen meeting place. For the first time Mei Ling had brought a candle, whose flame dipped and flickered over the wooden pillars that surrounded them.

These nocturnal meetings of growing frequency had come as just as much of a surprise to Yue and Mei Ling as they had to anyone else. The first time, it had simply been sheer coincidence – Mei Ling, unable to sleep through the agony of having the object of her hopeless unrequited love sleeping just on the other side of the wall, had taken to the streets in the hope of tiring herself into a dreamless sleep. She'd had no idea that she would bump into Yue halfway through Tomoeda Park, presumably doing exactly the same thing.

Half an hour of the most bizarre and unexpected conversation later, something had begun that neither of them could quite explain, either to themselves or their friends. They'd found they had something in common. More than they'd thought. Unrequited love is something that can only really be understood through experience, and there were no two people who understood unrequited love quite like Mei Ling and Yue.

After the first coincidental meeting, Mei Ling had gone back to Hong Kong with her cousin, and only managed to return when the next holiday season came around almost a year later. In her deepest heart of hearts, she might just have admitted to herself that when she went out walking in Tomoeda the very next night, the idea of finding Yue wriggled a tiny shard of hope into her mind. She knew it was futile to expect the same coincidence to happen again, or even why she _wanted_ it to in the first place, but there it was.

And when she'd reached the park, he'd been standing by the lake. She'd never dared ask whether it was another coincidence – and if not, _why_ not.

The candle on the wooden boards between them was the first sign either of them had made that these nighttime meetings were anything other than accidental. It seemed portentous, somehow. Mei Ling was slightly regretting bringing it. It had become an unspoken rule between them – Oh, my goodness, what are _you_ doing out walking at this time of night? I would never have expected… yada yada yada.

Her lips drew upwards slightly, thinking of the absurdity of the situation.

"What?" came Yue's soft voice from the other side of the candle.

"Nothing," she answered, shaking her head. "I just…" she sighed and looked at the flame between them. "The candle's burning down."

She probably shouldn't have mentioned the candle. Yue looked at it awkwardly, as if he realised what it represented. There was silence for a moment.

"You seem quiet tonight," Mei Ling said haltingly. Not that Yue could ever be called _loud,_ of course, but tonight he was even more preoccupied than usual. "What's wrong?"

For a moment Yue looked as if he was going to snap that it was none of her business, but changed his mind at the last minute, looking instead as if he was thinking what to say. When he'd done that on the first of their midnight meetings, they had ended up in a shouting match so fierce that Mei Ling had been amazed it hadn't ended in violence. She also secretly wondered whether it hadn't been that, in a twisted sort of way, which had made him want to see her again. It seemed like she was the only person who had the guts to stand up to him.

Yue played absentmindedly with one of the tassels on his robe, coming to a decision about what to say. "I've…" He hesitated. "I've been thinking. About a number of things. Clow, and my creation, and… Sakura."

Mei Ling was surprised. Despite having tentatively discussed her before, Yue didn't usually bring Sakura up himself, and Mei Ling didn't think she'd ever heard him actually speak her proper name. She leaned forward, listening carefully. Yue seemed to appreciate her silent attention, and his voice became less faltering.

"As you know, Clow Reed knew for most of mine and Cerberus' lives that he would die, and that Sakura would inherit the Cards." To Yue's credit, the bitterness in his voice upon mentioning Clow's death was kept to a minimum. "But what you didn't know is that Clow had planned our lives in more detail than we ever realised."

Mei Ling frowned. "Planned your _lives?_ What do you mean?"

"Clow always had a habit of expecting the people around him to act exactly according to his wishes," Yue said, the bitterness now more noticeable. "He had everything worked out – from the opening of the Book to Sakura's destiny as Cardcaptor, the Judgement, the changing of the Cards – even," he said, his voice becoming quieter, "the relationships she would have with her guardians."

Mei Ling was feeling a little out of her depth. "I don't understand. How could Clow control events so far in the future? He died a long time before Sakura opened the Book."

"True," Yue said flatly, "But Clow had ways of influencing the future that I didn't really understand until recently. Did you ever wonder why Clow chose to fuse me to the personality of Yukito, a totally separate being, rather than just transform into an altered version of myself like Kero or Ruby Moon?"

Mei Ling, who had opened her mouth to ask another question, stopped as his words sunk in. He was right. It _was_ strange. "No," she said truthfully. "I'd never thought of it."

"I am sure, however," Yue broke in more softly, "that you noticed Sakura's feelings for Yukito when you first came to Tomoeda seven years ago."

Mei Ling nodded. You'd have to have been blind not to.

"That," Yue carried on, looking as if every word pained him, "was no accident. Clow had always intended for Sakura to fall in love with Yukito… and for him to fall in love with her in return. Together, they would speed the capture of the cards and live," his lip curled slightly, _"happily ever after,_ I suppose."

Mei Ling was completely blindsided by this unexpected news. "He meant Sakura and Yukito to be a couple? And he could _control_ them to fall in love?"

There was a tinge of grim satisfaction on Yue's candlelit features. "Well, no. That was where his greatest failing emerged – the inability to understand that people have free will, and that you cannot plan someone's emotions. Clow completely overlooked two very important people in this perfect scenario of his. One was of course your cousin. The other was Touya."

Mei Ling's hand flew to her mouth. "Of course! Yukito never had romantic feelings for Sakura, because he'd already met and fallen in love with Touya. And… Syaoran…"

She stopped, the familiar ache welling up inside her. Syaoran had come to Tomoeda, met Sakura, and from then on their path to happiness had been sealed.

"It went wrong," she said. "Clow didn't expect it to happen that way."

"Yes. Although perhaps he wouldn't see it as going _wrong…_ he just would never have imagined things could happen in any way other than he'd planned. But they did."

Mei Ling was quiet for a moment, lost in thought. It was all very interesting, but she couldn't help wondering why Yue was telling her this and where he was going with it.

As if he could sense her questions, Yue continued, his eyes once again resting on the dancing flame between them.

"I've been thinking a lot lately about the way Clow created me," he said softly. "For seven years, Yukito and I have shared the same existence. Yukito is not just –" here his face became bitter again – "a _false form._ Clow never really understood the magnitude of what creating new life means. Yukito is a person with desires, hopes and dreams just like anyone else, and it's not fair that half his time is stolen because it's occupied by me. Two people cannot live in one body. It's not right. It's not fair. It doesn't work."

"But… but there's no alternative, is there?" Mei Ling said, troubled. "I agree with you – no, don't –" for Yue had looked up with a wounded expression at her perceived dismissal. "You know I agree; I don't think it's right either. But what else can you do? You're not…" she trailed off in alarm as a new thought flashed through her mind. "Yue, you're not going to give yourself over to Yukito? Permanently?"

Without meaning to, her voice had taken a higher edge as this disturbing scenario presented itself. For a moment, they met eachother's eyes – something that, despite the fact that they'd met numerous times now, did not happen very often. Yue looked quickly away.

"No. Well – that's not quite true. I thought about it for a while. But then… you might think me selfish, but…" he looked up again. "I don't want to fade away," he whispered. "I have a right to live. Don't I?" he persisted, almost defensively.

"Of course you do," Mei Ling said impatiently. "Don't be _ridiculous._" A year ago, she knew, he would have made her pay for that jibe – but now she saw with delight that he accepted it with a sardonic smile. "You and Yukito need your own lives, but how would that work? Is it possible at all?"

"I don't know. But now, finally, I'm going to work with every ounce of strength I have to find a way. I don't think either of us can exist like this for much longer. And…" he hesitated again. "There's another reason."

Mei Ling, in a strange moment of clarity, saw what he meant as clearly as if she'd looked straight into his mind. "Sakura."

Yue looked up, startled. Then he laughed. "It shouldn't still surprise me that you know exactly what I'm going to say. But it does," he mused. "It still does."

"You think that separating yourself from Yukito will free you from what he was originally intended for," she said, as if she was slotting the last piece of a puzzle into place. "You think that it's because of Clow's plan for Yukito that you feel what you do for Sakura."

"I don't know for sure," Yue said, resolutely looking at the candle. His tone was stubbornly loyal. "She is an extraordinary person; there is no reason why my feelings should not be genuine. But…" he paused. "I cannot deny that I hope it is true."

Mei Ling took a deep breath. For a moment, she felt a pang of regret that there wasn't some complex magical reason, and therefore antidote to, her own feelings for Syaoran. _But of course,_ she thought sourly, _I'd wonder what was happening to the world if things were somehow __**easy**_ _for a change._

"Well," she said, breaking the silence. "Can it be done with the Cards, perhaps?"

"I'm amazed you think I haven't considered that," he said dryly. "But I am sceptical about that route, actually. One Card doesn't have the power to alter both Yukito and I in any significant way, even if there was one that happened to be suitable for our needs. Even several Cards at once…" He sighed. "I don't know. The problem is that it's so risky. If anything goes wrong, we'd be risking Yukito's life. What if we got it wrong and he vanished? It doesn't bear thinking about."

"And I suppose it'd be no trouble if _you_ vanished?" Mei Ling said acerbically. "You deserve this as much as Yukito does."

She thought she could detect a fleeting trace of gratitude in his expression, but the next second his cool passivity was back in place.

"Anyway," Mei Ling said decisively. "Where's a will, there's a way. If there's anything we can do to solve this, we'll find it."

Yue lifted his eyebrows. _"We?"_

She was genuinely stopped short for a moment. "Oh, good grief. You didn't think I wouldn't be helping you?" She clicked her tongue, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes. "I'm afraid that through some glitch in the universe, Yue, you and I appear to have become friends. And this is the kind of thing where, you know, you need a little moral support."

Yue seemed, if possible, a little flustered. "Well, I had assumed – your abilities –"

The realisation dawned on Mei Ling with a sinking sensation in her stomach.

"Of course," she said heavily. "No magic." The words sounded painful, as they always did. "Not much use to you, then." She suddenly felt cold and miserable, despite the mugginess of the air. The old tide of resentment at her complete lack of magical ability was rising with alarming speed, and suddenly she wanted to get away. She got to her feet.

Yue looked totally taken-aback, and was standing too before he knew what he was doing. "No – I did not mean –"

"No, no," she snapped. "You're perfectly right. What on earth could I do that would be any help? Let's see, what am I good at? Maybe I could sing a little song. Or bake a cake. Or perhaps I could try Judo-chopping you down the middle and see if that does the trick."

"Stop it," Yue snapped back. "I did not mean it that way, you know I didn't; don't be ridiculous!"

The words hit her and reminded her of something. A second later, she realised it was herself.

She turned around slowly. "Oh my god. Do you realise you sound just like _me?"_

Yue stopped, looking thoroughly confused as he realised she was right.

"Come to think of it, I was sounding like you there for a moment," Mei Ling said, fascinated, her momentary depression gone. "Have we really spent so much time together that we're rubbing off on each other?"

Yue looked as if he didn't know if the idea pleased or repulsed him.

They caught each other's eye, saw the humour in the situation, and both stifled a smile.

"Do you think we can ever get through one night without having some sort of argument?" Mei Ling asked, amused.

"I assure you, it's nothing of _my_ doing," Yue said haughtily, but she knew him sufficiently well now to understand that he was teasing. It had come as a shock, at first, to learn that Yue had the capacity to tease, but there it was. Once you knew what to look for, you realised just how much of his true meaning had gone over your head in the past.

Since she was on her feet, she picked up her cardigan (rendered rather useless in this temperature) and tied it around her hips. "I know it's not that late, but I've got to be up early tomorrow so I suppose I'd better head off."

"Words of wisdom," sighed Yue. "Yukito has a morning appointment as well." He leant down and snuffed out the candle before following her onto the grass. It had become an unspoken agreement by now that he saw her to her gate before leaving.

"Don't think I won't be working on ideas for you and Yukito," Mei Ling announced as they walked into the electric glare of the street lamps. "There must be something… I can at least come up with ideas, even if I can't carry them out."

Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Yue's mouth twitch upwards. "I'm quite sure you will. You seem to have an amazing talent for focusing uncompromisingly on whatever task is at hand."

"Well, I don't know how else I would have learnt how to make cakes after that fiasco on Sakura's birthday that blew up her oven."

Yue let out a quiet laugh, but it died as they rounded the corner of Mei Ling's apartment building and found themselves face to face with the two people who had made their lives so difficult: Sakura and Syaoran, who had just turned around and were looking at them with unbridled astonishment.

"Mei Ling!" Syaoran exclaimed. "I was worried…" he trailed off as he looked at Yue, obviously completely nonplussed.

"I was at the park," Mei Ling said lamely, wondering what on earth the etiquette for this eventuality was. She and Yue had never talked about keeping their meetings secret, but on the other hand, they hadn't paraded it either. She realised now that she had enjoyed keeping their strange friendship all to herself. She looked sideways at Yue; would he want her to lie? What if he didn't want people to know they were spending time together?

Just as the spike of insecurity rose in her, Yue spoke. "Mei Ling went for a walk. She met me about an hour ago."

"An hour ago?" Syaoran frowned. "What's taken you so long to come back?"

"We were talking," Yue said smoothly, once again icy and impenetrable. Syaoran opened his mouth, but seemed to decide that as curious as he was about what his cousin and the Moon Guardian would possibly have to talk about, he'd rather not risk his skin to find out. He shut it again with a snap.

"I shall take my leave then," Yue said in the same cool tone. "Goodnight."

"Wait!" Sakura piped up, shaking herself out of the unexpected sight of the two of them. "Now you're here, we can tell you!" She looked at Syaoran, taking his hand as the wariness in his features slipped into adoration at her glance. "Oh please, Syaoran, I can hardly wait any longer…"

Syaoran's cheeks flushed with colour, but he looked inordinately pleased. Sakura clapped her hands and turned back to Yue and Mei Ling.

Mei Ling noticed the ring on her finger a moment before she spoke, and felt as if a bucket of ice water had been tipped down her back. Beside her, she felt Yue freeze as he saw the same thing.

Sakura beamed and held out her left hand. Something small and bright glinted under the street lights. "Mei Ling, Yue – can you believe it? Syaoran and I are engaged!"

* * *

**Rumms:** Oh noes indeed. Cliffhanger number one :p


	2. Chapter 2

**Rumms:** Thank you to my one very staunch reviewer for spurring me on :D **Mie08**, this is dedicated to you! I wasn't sure anyone would go for the pairing, but you keep on fighting the good fight there. Everyone else... well, this has S+S in it, so surely it has mass appeal! Come on, dammit, they don't pay me to loll around looking wan - in fact, they don't pay me to do anything. :mutters: Bastards.

Even though I have no actual idea who I'm talking about when I say 'they'. It's the general 'they' who are responsible for global warming and regular bin-day pickups, ok?

Anyhow, enjoy! I have been SO tempted to set this fic to 'Moonlight Shadow' because of the hilarious 80s pop vibe. But I won't. I promise, I do have SOME shame. Love you. xxx

* * *

An Unlikely Twosome - Chapter Two

* * *

The weather was beautiful that week – sun shining, cherry blossoms blooming, as if the whole world was celebrating Sakura's joy. Which it probably was, thought Mei Ling glumly.

She had tried to tell herself, over and over again, that she was happy for them. And she _was_ – people often made the mistake that Mei Ling resented Sakura for taking Syaoran away from her, but the truth was that she was astute enough to realise he had never belonged to her in the first place. The fact remained, however, that the news of their engagement was the final death-knell to the distant dreams she'd harboured since the age of five.

She had not seen Yue since that night. He had congratulated them the same as her, but he'd found it visibly harder to feign good humour. Mei Ling had assumed he'd retreated back fully into Yukito, as he hadn't appeared since.

Remembering their conversation the week before, she'd panicked slightly at this turn of events. Yue had considered giving himself up to Yukito, after all… even though his eventual dismissal of the idea seemed genuine, she couldn't help the flicker of fear that rose up at the thought of him changing his mind. Surprisingly, it had been Kero who had offered her the most comfort. She wasn't sure how much he knew about her unexpected friendship with his fellow Guardian, but his reassurance that Yue would eventually come round had been quietly tactful.

In order to block out both the pain of the announcement and her worry over the effect it might have on Yue, Mei Ling had thrown herself into researching the most pressing matter at hand – the possibility of his separation from Yukito. The fact that she had no magical means of assistance frustrated and upset her, but she had always had a vivid imagination and it was satisfying to put it to work on something of genuine importance. Kero was obviously the best person to look to for guidance, and so the two of them had worked in secret confidence.

They had decided, after much deliberation, not to tell Sakura about their project until the initial excitement of the engagement had died down. Sakura herself had wasted no time in informing them that she and Syaoran would be throwing an engagement party in a little less than three weeks, and it seemed a shame to overshadow her happiness with worry – especially since they weren't sure how difficult the separation would be, or even if it was possible at all. Kero knew full well that Sakura would be devastated to hear about Yue's unhappiness, and would not have taken her current giddy joy away from her for the world.

So he and Mei Ling discussed the matter, briefly and covertly, during her visits to the Kinomoto house in the past week. Sakura, in a haze of romantic fog, had been blissfully unaware. She thought Mei Ling was working on the song she'd asked her and Tomoyo to write for the party.

While she understood and appreciated the compliment behind it, Mei Ling still couldn't help but give an internal groan at this out-of-the-blue request. Yes, she enjoyed singing. She'd dabbled in song-writing. But being asked to write a song in celebration of the man she loved marrying another girl? Perhaps she'd gotten so good at hiding her feelings that Sakura thought she'd moved on years ago. Tomoyo, thankfully, had been more shrewd, promising Mei Ling that she would take care of the majority of the work.

Mei Ling sighed, and tried to concentrate on the problem at hand. She was sitting on the window-seat in her and Syaoran's apartment, looking at the trees fluttering in the wind, a notebook with many lists and crossings-out in her lap. How on earth could they even _begin_ separating Yue and Yukito?

The main difficulty was the issue of bodies. Yue and Yukito shared the same one; that was the whole point. And while this body was obviously magically created, it was still solid and real and _there_ – how were they supposed to make another one? You don't just find bodies lying about. And the idea of asking Yue to spend his life possessing some poor anonymous expired person was too revolting to even contemplate.

No, they definitely had to _make_ a body, and the most apparent solution was to use the Cards. But Yue had said there was no single Card immediately suited to that task, and even if there was, it wouldn't have enough power to permanently change a living being. She'd thought fleetingly of the Create Card, but dropped the idea when she realised that the creations the Card produced always faded into non-existence after the Book was closed. Perhaps, she thought, tugging at a lock of her long dark hair in pique, using multiple Cards might solve their problem?

Multiple Cards… a spark of excitement grew in her. She'd seen Sakura use two or more Cards in conjunction before; it was possible, although it used a great deal of magical energy. But perhaps there was a way to negate that? Mei Ling pulled the notebook towards her and began scribbling again… how could they fortify Sakura's magical strength? Perhaps the Power Card, as well as the Create…

But then even using the Power to fortify the Create, it still wouldn't mean any body they produced would be anything more than an illusion. Mei Ling's heart fell. She stopped scribbling, the spark of excitement fading.

She was sure, _positive,_ that she was missing something. Something that was hovering just out of reach. They weren't approaching this in the right way…

The door opened, making her jump. Syaoran stood in the frame, a cup of tea in his hand.

"I made this for you," he said, offering it to her. She thanked him and took it gratefully, blowing on the steam to cool it.

"What are you doing?" Syaoran asked curiously, spying the notebook resting on her knees and craning his neck to look.

"Oh – nothing," Mei Ling replied hastily, shutting the book with a snap. "It's…" she floundered for a moment before settling on the easiest diversion. "It's the song for your party. You're not allowed to see it, of course!"

"Oh," Syaoran said, drawing back from the book and smiling. "Sorry! I promise I won't peek."

She smiled back at him, perhaps a little wanly, because he seemed to notice and sat down next to her, fiddling with his own cup.

"Mei Ling," he said quietly, "I just want you to know that I appreciate what you're doing. I know maybe the engagement came as a bit of a surprise, but you've been…" he struggled for a moment, "really supportive. Like you always are. You've always stood by me, had my back. You've always been there."

He looked up at her, an awkward blush spreading over his face, as it always did when it came to discussing emotions. "I want you to know that you mean a lot to me, always have, and always will. I... love you, you know."

Mei Ling felt her eyes fill with tears.

She could hardly even name what she was feeling right now. How many years had she longed to hear him say those words? Syaoran interpreted her show of emotion as tears of happiness; he pulled her into a clumsy hug, and as she was smothered with everything she'd always wanted but would never have, she realised he was wrong. They were tears of devastation.

_I will not cry. He doesn't deserve it. I will not cry…_

Syaoran pulled back and kissed her, brother-like, on the forehead. Then he squeezed her hand and disappeared into the hall, leaving her staring at the door as if someone had just died.

He'd thought they'd been tears of _joy_… how very representative of their entire relationship. There were two meanings to every look, every word, every action, and Syaoran always picked the wrong one with her. Perhaps he'd never known her after all. Perhaps he'd never really wanted to.

She rubbed her eyes, slumping back onto the window-seat and staring blankly at the notebook. So much for coming up with any brilliant ideas. She'd never be able to think of anything now, not after Syaoran.

Unless…

Her thoughts of only a moment ago came back with a curiously clear quality. _There are two meanings to every look, every word, every action._

Her eyes widened. She grabbed the notebook and looked at the list of frustratedly crossed-out Card names. Nothing has only one meaning or interpretation, especially not magic. What if the cards had _levels?_

Her mind went into overdrive as she looked at a random Card name on the list. The Arrow. Not much use to their current situation as a plain arrow, of course, but what could an arrow _represent? _Could it be used metaphorically? Arrows denote accuracy, precision – exactly what Sakura would need to help her focus on such a difficult task as the one that faced them.

Mei Ling looked at the list of names again, the pain of Syaoran's embrace all but forgotten, and felt the world changing.

The grabbed the notebook and began to write.

* * *

Kero's eyes grew wide as flipped through the notebook. At first he was confused, then sceptical, then eager… and finally, triumphant.

"Kid," he whispered. "Kid, this is _amazing!_ I think this might really be worth something!"

Mei Ling hovered over him, nearly bouncing on her heels with excitement. "It just came to me! And we already know you can use the Cards in different ways… after all, you showed Sakura how Clow did Tarot readings with them!"

The two of them were in the kitchen of the Kinomoto house. The room was empty – dinner was over, and Touya was in the living room with Yukito. Sakura was out with her new fiancé.

"I wouldn't even have known about that if I hadn't accidentally seen Clow doing a reading one day," Kero admitted. "Clow didn't reveal much about the Cards' nature, not even to Yue and I."

Mei Ling frowned. "You know," she said slowly, "that's the one thing I was puzzled about. I couldn't believe I came up with this before you did. You spent thirty years inside the Book – surely you know the Cards better than anyone?"

"I may have spent a lot of time in the Book, but that doesn't make me an expert," Kero said, fluttering to the fridge and absentmindedly devouring a slice of cake almost as big as himself. "What I chiefly learnt from that experience was how to judge the Cards'… well, _mood,_ I suppose. Feelings. The Clow Cards weren't actually being used while I spent all that time in the Book, so there I really had no way of knowing."

Mei Ling tilted her head quizzically. "But in all that time living with Clow – seeing him actually make the Cards from scratch – you must have picked up something!"

"I didn't see him make the Cards from scratch," Kero said, surprised. "What makes you think that?"

"I-" Mei Ling stopped, completely derailed. She had always assumed that Kero and Yue had been around as long as Clow himself. After seven years of knowing them, it was a bit of a shock to realise she had that fundamental fact quite wrong. "Hang on. When _did_ Clow create you and Yue?"

"Well, let's see." Kero counted on his fingers. "It was around about the forty-ninth Card… he'd nearly finished the pack… so, probably around ten years before he died," he concluded.

Mei Ling gaped. _"Ten years?_ I thought you'd lived with him for decades!"

Kero looked amused at her expression. "Well, it was ten very _good_ years," he said irrelevantly. "But anyway, I never really found out the limits of what the Cards were capable of. I'm still sure that one Card alone couldn't help us split Yue and Yukito, but with multiple ones, all considering these new meanings… well, it's starting to look a little different."

Still reeling, Mei Ling tried to focus on the task at hand. "Well, I thought that by giving you all my ideas for metaphorical Card-meanings, you'd be better placed to judge whether they could be used in that way. There's just one problem, though."

"_One_ problem? I expect there'll be a hundred," said Kero cheerfully, as if the task ahead was on about the same scale of importance as making a cake. "What did you have in mind?"

Mei Ling tapped the notebook again. "If we're using metaphorical meanings for the Cards, I have a feeling we're going to need a lot more than two of them to bring the entire spell together. For example," she said, flicking through the pages, "I thought that in order to make the new body for Yue, we could use the Create, the Illusion, and the Change. So we actually sketch out the body with Create, and then use the other two Cards to change the illusion into something real." She faltered, looking up. "Am I totally on the wrong track? Would that even work at all?"

Kero was looking at her with frank admiration. "You know, I would never have thought about that – actually looking at the _words_ in the sentence describing what we want to do, and choosing the Cards based on that. Amazing!"

Kero looked so impressed that Mei Ling began to feel a spark of pride. She wasn't useless after all! She could help… even if she couldn't do magic.

"I'm going to take this away with me," continued Kero, tucking the notebook under his tiny arm. "You've done a lot of the groundwork, but I want to talk it over with the Cards themselves and draw up a final plan. We can all discuss it after the party-"

He broke off as the door opened and Sakura walked in. They hadn't even heard her return home. She stopped in surprise.

"Mei Ling! What a nice surprise," she beamed. "Hasn't Kero even asked you to sit down?" She frowned at her diminutive Guardian. "Your _manners,_ Kero. Honestly, I might not even let you have the present I brought you…"

"Present?" Kero said excitedly, fluttering over. "What present?"

Sakura's frown, which she could never wear for more than a few seconds, melted into a grin once more. "I snuck a bit of pudding out of the restaurant for you. Sweet bean jelly!"

Mei Ling couldn't help but smile at the scuffling, and eventual munching noises, that followed. Sakura, however, was bending down to pick something off the floor – the notebook, dropped in Kero's complete inability to function sensibly in the presence of food. Before Mei Ling could stop her, she had glanced idly down at the first page.

And stood still. And frowned again, her brows knitting together with confusion and surprise.

Kero, finally noticing what had happened, looked up from the bean jelly and had the good grace to look embarrassed.

Sakura looked at the notebook, the pieces clicking into place as her jade eyes scanned the lists. Then at Kero, at Mei Ling, and finally at the book once more.

"All right," she said finally, her normally soft voice brooking no arguments. "What's going on?"

* * *

**Next chapter:** Sakura gets answers, Yue gets coaxed out of hiding, Tomoyo has a heart-to-heart with Mei Ling, and our beloved Moon Guardian starts seeing someone in a new light. Ooh.


	3. Chapter 3

**Rumms: **Once again, sorry about the lateness. And once again, thank you so much for the beautiful reviews you've written. I love you all like huge pies filled with beauty. Um.

Enjoy!

* * *

An Unlikely Twosome - Chapter Three

* * *

The dining table in the Kinomoto's living room was crammed round with chairs – six, to be exact. Sakura, Syaoran and Tomoyo on one side, Touya, Yukito and Mei Ling on the other. Kero sat in the middle of the table, the Book of Sakura Cards open before him.

As Kero had predicted, once Sakura had found out about Yue's desire to give Yukito a body of his own, she would not hear of waiting until the engagement party was over. Kero had promised to review Mei Ling's idea of metaphorical Card meanings immediately, and barely twenty-four hours had passed before he called everyone together to discuss his findings.

"Ok," Kero said, his diminutive form rising no higher than the Book beside him. "As we all know by now, Mei Ling has thought of a different way to use the Cards. I've been considering each Card carefully in turn, and I think I may have worked out a combination that will work."

"Wonderful!" cried Sakura, clapping her hands. "I didn't think it would be so easy!"

"Hold it," Kero warned. "I said I thought I might have worked out a way. I didn't say it'd be easy."

"But there _is_ a chance," Tomoyo insisted. "We ought to try, even if it's a small one."

"I don't want anyone putting themselves at risk," Yukito said firmly, his soft voice uncharacteristically strained. "And I know Yue wouldn't either. We would rather stay how we are than try anything that could be dangerous to Sakura."

Beside him, Touya nodded, his stern features even graver than normal. He, more than anyone else, was aware of Yukito's vulnerability in the face of a procedure like the one they were proposing.

"Well, in that case, I think it's time I told you all the facts," Kero announced. "Mei Ling and I suspected from the start that more than one Card would have to be involved to perform magic of this complexity. We know that Sakura has used two cards in conjunction before -"

"-And it was extremely dangerous!" Touya broke in. "I know she's capable, but using more than one Card has left her incredibly weak in the past."

Sakura opened her mouth to protest, but Kero cut over her. "That's just it. I'm afraid it won't take two Cards to make this happen, or even three. In fact, as far as I can calculate, we'll need –" he looked down at the paper in front of him – "nine Cards in total, at different stages of the spell."

You could have heard a pin drop. Yukito's mouth fell open in horror.

Touya spoke first. "No way. _No way._ I forbid it."

Sakura finally managed to get a word in, her calm voice injecting some sanity back into the proceedings. "Touya, I am afraid you can't forbid me to do anything. It was six years ago that I finished changing the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards, and I was only just developing my powers then. It's true I haven't really needed to use them in the last few years, but they are stronger than they ever were. If there is a chance to make this work, I want to try."

Her speech seemed to lift a bit of the tension from the room.

"I still don't like this," Touya said uneasily.

"Kero, why don't you talk us through the process?" Tomoyo asked, bringing them back to the logistics of the plan.

"It may not be as bad as it sounds," Kero went on, "for reasons that will become clear in a minute. The Cards are not so much working as separate entities, but more like harmonising parts of one seamless spell. Anyhow, I've worked out a rough idea."

On the table, the Book flipped open and the Cards glowed within, sensing their involvement.

Kero rose into the air as the Cards circled his tiny frame, like a ringmaster in a circus. "I've split the Cards we'll be needing into two basic groups. First, we have the sustaining Cards, ones that will be active throughout the whole spell. For this, we need Power, Arrow and Libra."

The aforementioned three separated from the pack and hovered above. Syaoran was already looking confused. _"Arrow? _Why would we need any Attack Cards?"

"This is where Mei Ling's bright idea comes in," Kero smiled. "We're going to be using metaphorical levels to weave all the different parts into one whole spell. Power, of course, is to fortify Sakura's own magical strength. Arrow will be used for focus, concentration and precision. Libra will balance the spell for its duration, making sure that Sakura doesn't falter under the pressure."

Touya looked worried at the phrase 'falter under the pressure', but the rest of the group were gazing into the circle of Cards as a world of meanings opened up before them.

Six new cards drifted away from the majority to join the first three. Kero pointed them out in turn. "This is where it gets complicated, and where there is no room for error. This second set is the Cards that will be used to directly activate the spell.

"Create and Twin will be used in conjunction. Someone will need to be the writer – we'll decide who later. The writer has to put down in the Create book every description of Yue they can think of. He needs to written down to every detail. The Twin will help, as that's essentially what we're trying to make – a twin body for Yue. Yukito will keep the original. But the writing is extremely important. It has to be done with _meaning."_

Despite the brave face she was putting on, even Sakura was starting to look cowed by the length and complexity of the spell. "But Kero," she queried, "will the Create Card be enough? Anything we've made with Create has always faded as soon as the Book is closed. If anything like that happens to Yue and Yukito…"

"It won't," said Kero firmly. "That's where the next two come in. Illusion and Change. That was Mei Ling's idea again – we _change_ the _illusion_ into something real."

"Will that even work?" Syaoran said doubtfully. "It seems a little flimsy."

"Believe me, it's the best chance we'll ever have," said Kero grimly. "In any case, I've discussed the plan with the Cards themselves. The theory, according to them, will work – the only problem is whether we can produce enough power to sustain the transformation. Syaoran, we'll need your help here. You'll need to use every ounce of your power to support Sakura. I'll be doing the same thing." Syaoran nodded seriously, his fingers seeking out his fiancée's.

"Finally," Kero ended, "we'll use the Sword to split the two souls, and the Lock Card to seal everything in position. Hopefully, by the time we're at this stage, Yue and Yukito will have separate bodies – made by magic, but not magical in themselves. That way, they'll sustain even after the spell has finished."

Touya was twisting his fingers in his lap. "Is there anything we others can do to help? There's me, Tomoyo and Mei Ling – surely we can do _something."_ It was plain that he was finding the prospect of standing by hard to accept, especially during a spell that would be so dangerous for Yukito.

"Well, someone will need to be the writer," Kero pointed out. "It can't be Sakura, Syaoran or me, because we'll need all our power focused on maintaining the spell. It's up to you, basically."

"Well, I– " Touya began, but Yukito's voice broke through.

"I think it should be Mei Ling," he said softly.

Mei Ling felt her cheeks go hot. Suddenly, the focus of the room was on her, and she wasn't sure she liked it.

"Mei Ling?" Touya said, surprised.

"Yes," Kero said with the beginnings of an infuriating smile that made Mei Ling want to stick her tongue out at him. "Yes, I think that's a good idea. After all, she came up with the basic idea. Mei Ling will be the writer."

Touya and Sakura looked nonplussed, Syaoran was frowning, but Kero, Yuktio and Tomoyo were all watching her with varying degrees of knowing smiles. _Oh good grief,_ she though irritably. _Where are we, primary school?_ And in any case, why _shouldn't_ she have the job? It was about time she was actually given something important to do. Kero could smirk all he liked.

"Okay," she said composedly, "that's fine by me. If you give me the details, Kero, I'll do my best."

"When should we do the spell?" Sakura asked. "I think we should try it as soon as possible, but I'll probably need some time to prepare and get my strength up. Something tells me this isn't going to be a walk in the park."

Strangely enough, Mei Ling saw Yukito look up at the wording of this last sentence, catching her eye with a distinctly un-Yukito smirk on his lips. And did his eyes look violet for a second?

"You're right," said Kero, oblivious. "I want to run over the plan and double-check it, in any case. We can't afford for anything to go wrong. Today is Tuesday. I say we make it Saturday. Is everyone free?"

One by one, heads nodded around the table.

"Then it's settled," said Kero, the backlight from the circling Cards making him look oddly sinister. "On Saturday, we cast the spell."

* * *

Yue was, for the first time since the engagement announcement, in his true form. The spell would begin in less than two days, and apprehension had got the best of him. He tried to stop himself thinking of this as one final opportunity to be in his true form. He trusted Sakura – his loyalty to her was unwavering – but he still found himself drinking in the air as if it was water, running his hands through the grass as if he'd never feel it again. There were so many things that might go wrong.

His last few weeks of retreat into Yukito had ended up turning into a kind of sabbatical. Then, if ever, had been the time to order his thoughts and start some serious contemplation. There was so much unfinished business flying around inside him – Clow, his feelings for Sakura, the imminent and dangerous spell to separate him from Yukito – and of course, that _other_ thing that had been growing in his mind during the last year, creeping over him so slowly and stealthily that he'd hardly noticed until it sat up one day and hit him like a sledgehammer. That was the most confusing thing of all.

Before he could prod at this new and unusual topic any more, he looked down from his perch in a spreading plane-tree and saw Touya at the door to Yukito's house, ringing the bell and peering in at the front window, no doubt wondering what was taking his partner so long to answer.

Touya turned in surprise as he saw the white figure descend onto the path. "Yue! I was beginning to think that we wouldn't see you at all before the spell…" He broke off as he noticed the Guardian's expression, even more dour than usual, as he sighed and perched on the wall.

"I had a lot to think about," he said quietly. "And I thought it would be a good idea to give Yuktio as much time as possible. But today… I just wanted an hour or so." He looked up, almost as if he was apologising.

"It's ok," said Touya softly, sitting on the wall next to him. "You're entitled to your time, too. This is the first time you've come out in three weeks."

Yue fidgeted with his hands for a moment, looking quite unlike the composed figure Touya was used to. "I just wanted to say… Clow was wrong. You can't – you can't just _dismiss_ people because you didn't foresee their existence. You and Yukito –" he broke off again, looking the other way.

"Hey," Touya said, more than a little confused, "it's ok. I don't really understand what you mean, but if you're worried about the spell…"

Yue looked straight into his eyes. "I once took your power," he said, his voice low. "I don't wish to take anything else dear to you."

Touya's throat felt dry, but he shook his head. "I know Sakura can do it. And it really has to be done – neither you nor Yukito can live like this any longer."

Yue sighed, looking down again. "I have faith in your sister. My quarrel lies with Clow's decision to create us this way in the first place. He could see what would _happen_ in the future, but not understand what the _consequences_ would be. How could he not have realised this problem would be inevitable? Did he have a plan for it? Or did he simply not think it was important?"

"I suppose even the greatest of people make mistakes."

"A mistake?" snapped Yue, pouncing on the word. "Is that what our suffering is, a _mistake?_ You can't create life without being accountable for it. Responsibility is not just something you can toss aside!"

Touya looked rather alarmed. "Alright, alright. I'm sorry; maybe it wasn't the right thing to say."

"No, don't think on it," Yue mumbled in frustration. In the flash of a moment, he thought of someone who would have responded quite differently to his outburst – who would have risen to the challenge with a cool retort to his admonishing tone. Inappropriately, given the situation, it made him smile.

Touya noticed, raising his eyebrows. "Look, I can see you're quite preoccupied. I'll come back later to speak to Yukito."

Yue shook his head, feeling inexplicably calmer. "No, I apologise. You can speak to him right now. I've waited many years to have my own time; I can wait a day longer." Standing up, he offered his hand to Touya, who looked nonplussed but pleased, and reached out to shake it.

"Whatever happens," Yue said, looking at him steadily, "I am glad to have seen the bond between you and Yuktio. It gives me hope."

Touya couldn't find words to answer, and by the time he'd untied his tongue, Yue's wings had folded and were opening to reveal a different person.

* * *

It was late afternoon on Friday, and the golden light with its lengthening shadows was pouring through the window of a tea-room. There were only a few customers left, and in a corner at a small table sat Tomoyo and Mei Ling.

Tomoyo was pouring tea from their pot with the elegance and poise of a geisha, gently holding her sleeve out of the way to do so. Mei Ling was slumped rather less gracefully, elbows on the table, looking down at the steaming liquid. She sighed.

"I don't know if I can do this."

Tomoyo put the teapot down delicately on the lacquered surface. "Which bit? Or all of it?"

"Well, I'm nervous about the spell – I think we all are. But I was mainly talking about the engagement party."

Tomoyo put her own elbows on the table, cradling her chin in her hands and looking at her friend softly. "I know. I think…" she broke off and bit her lip. "It's hard for quite a few of us."

Mei Ling caught her eye, and suddenly they both smiled ruefully. She laughed. "We're fools in love, aren't we? Wishing and hoping and dreaming. Me, you... and of course Yue. I wonder who else we don't know about."

"I'd suspected Yue for a long time," Tomoyo admitted, "but I didn't really realise what it meant. Suddenly, so many things make sense. It must have been hard for him to watch all Sakura's adoring looks when they were always for Yukito, not him."

Mei Ling fiddled with her teaspoon. It couldn't hurt to tell Tomoyo, she thought. She was the most trustworthy person she knew. "Actually," she said hesitantly, "It's part of the reason that Yue brought up the idea of separating him and Yukito. He thinks it will 'cure' his feelings for Sakura."

Tomoyo looked puzzled. Mei Ling quickly outlined what Yue had told her at their last meeting, about Clow's initial plan and its derailment through the presence of Syaoran and Touya. Understanding flooded through Tomoyo's face as she listened.

"So that's it. I always wondered…" she looked back at Mei Ling, curiosity evident in her eyes. "It's strange, isn't it, how you two have ended up in each other's confidence? I wouldn't have put you together, but now I think about it, you have a lot in common."

"You know, we do," said Mei Ling with a smile, unaware of how animated her demeanour had become. "Not just with our feelings for Syaoran and Sakura, but – oh, I don't know – this is going to sound strange, but a lot of the time I feel like he's _waiting_ for someone to call him on some of his nonsense, he really _wants_ people to. But everyone tiptoes around him all the time. Do you know," she mused, "the first time we happened to get talking in the park, we ended up in a blazing row? And I was kind of frightened, but in a funny way, I enjoyed it. And I think… I'm not sure, but I _think_… he did too." She faltered, looking at Tomoyo's upraised eyebrows. "Weird, isn't it?"

Tomoyo's smile widened. "You _are_ alike. Goodness, I just don't know how I never saw it before. It's so obvious."

"It's all so _underhand,_ though," Mei Ling said in frustration. "We've met up loads of times now, but every time we do it's 'Oh, I didn't expect you to be here! How funny.' It's the oddest friendship I've ever had. Sometimes I think he's just humouring me, but then I'll go out walking at night, and he'll _always_ be there. I really don't know what his motivations are."

"I think I can guess," Tomoyo said, taking a sip of tea.

"Well, by all means, knock yourself out," Mei Ling sighed, leaning back in her chair. "I gave up ages ago."

Tomoyo laughed. "I think you're looking for something complex that isn't there, Mei Ling. My educated guess is perfectly simple. You treat him as an equal. You have a lot of things in common. He just _likes_ you; that's all there is to it."

To her surprise and embarrassment, Mei Ling realised her stomach was doing tiny flipflops. She ignored it. "Well," she said haltingly, "Yes. I suppose that's a simple explanation."

"And something tells me it's starting to make ripples with everyone else, too. Why did Yukito and Kero both immediately volunteer you as the writer for the spell? There's obviously a reason; they've seen something that made them think you could do it better than me or Touya. Yukito must get flashes of what Yue's thinking; they _do_ share a body, after all. And I bet Kero's known about these covert 'meetings' a lot longer than you thought."

Flipflops again. "Maybe. I just – ugh! I don't know. It's all so complicated. The engagement party's in two weeks… I can't deal with this now, not when I have to watch the love of my life pledge himself to one of my best friends. And the song," she groaned. "Oh god, the _song."_

"Shh," Tomoyo soothed. "I already said I'd take care of that. All you have to do is sing it on the day."

Mei Ling hesitated, slowly reaching into her bag and pulling out some sheet music. "Well… I thought for a bit, and I have a song already written. It's never been performed so we might as well use it. It's quite… apt."

Tomoyo scanned the pages with an expert's eye, mouth moving faintly as she sight-read the melody. She turned over a side, and then another. After a minute, she looked up.

"Mei Ling, this is beautiful. Perfect. They will love it."

"Thank you," Mei Ling mumbled, looking at the table.

"But you didn't write it for them, did you?" Tomoyo said softly. "You can't have written this in only two days. This is about something else."

To her frustration and anger, Mei Ling felt tears start in her eyes. "I wrote it years ago. When… when I still believed that maybe one day, Syaoran would realise he loved me, and all the hoping and waiting would be over. I've known it won't happen for a long time now, but you've got to admit the song works just as well for him and Sakura."

Mei Ling flipped through the music again. "It's _is_ wonderful. But Mei Ling, are you sure you want to use this? It's such a personal thing. I can't help but think it'll cause you more heartache than you need right now."

Mei Ling pulled herself together and blotted the half-formed tears out of her eyes. "I've thought a lot about it, and I realised that this can be the closure I need. This song represents everything that's holding me back, keeping me in the past – being hopelessly head-over-heels for Syaoran. And though I wouldn't take those feelings back for the world, I'm ready for Sakura to step in and take over now. I _want_ her to. I don't want to feel like this any more. It's like the echo of something dying. I suppose by using this song, I feel like I'm passing the torch. Maybe it will help me find some peace."

Tomoyo's eyes filled too as she reached over the table and took her friend's hand. "Mei Ling, you are one of the bravest people I know. And trust me," she said, squeezing her fingers, "you _will_ find love, this time one that's returned. Who knows? It could be right under your nose."

* * *

**Next Chapter:** The spell! Eek!


	4. Chapter 4

**Rumms:** Hi, babelets! What happened this Easter was, as well as consuming my own bodyweight in delicious cocoa imports, I wrote another chapter. Go me! And go you! Yes, you! Go on! Have one on me.

* * *

An Unlikely Twosome - Chapter Four

* * *

The Kinomoto living room was deathly quiet. There didn't even seem to be any birds outside. And yet the room was full of people – Sakura, Syaoran, Kero, Yukito, Touya, Tomoyo and Mei Ling. Without consciously realising it, they had arranged themselves into a circle, and everyone's attention was focused on Kero, who had just changed into his true form.

"Well," he said rather unnecessarily, "this is it. We should start."

The tension in the circle became palpable. The participants looked nervously at eachother. "How shall we organise this?" asked Syaoran.

Kero opened his mouth, but Mei ling cut in. "Well, since Yukito is the object of the spell, he should stand in the middle. Kero and Syaoran are supporting Sakura, so they should stand with her. I think Touya should be on hand near Yukito if… if anything happens. And I suppose that leaves me – I'll sit at the table with the Create Book, and Tomoyo can help me." She looked around, suddenly aware that everyone was looking at her. She blushed. "Sorry… being bossy…"

Touya raised his eyebrows, but Kero suppressed a smile and answered, "Couldn't have thought of a better plan myself. Positions, everyone! I'll lay out the Cards we need in front of Sakura, in order. After that, I'll be focusing all my energy on her, so I won't be able to keep an eye on anyone else. You all have to know exactly what you're doing."

Mei Ling felt a stab of nervousness. "How will I know what to write?"

Kero looked at her, a piercing look that brought the blood to her cheeks again. "Write Yue. Everything about him that you know and recognise. Describe him, how you see him, your experiences of him, everything. Oh, and one more thing – use Ruby Moon as the template for his new body – he needs to have a less conspicuous form to turn into, like her. Put that in, too."

Mei Ling nodded, sitting at the coffee table, feeling her insides squirming. Tomoyo sat beside her, a comforting hand on her wrist. Yukito stepped quietly into the ring; he looked at her, and she thought she saw a faint flash of violet in his eyes before he closed them and refocused on Touya.

One by one, Kero laid the nine Cards in front of Sakura.

"Straight in," he whispered to her. "First three, all at the same time. We're here. I know you can do this."

Sakura was pale. She nodded, bringing the Sealing Staff around in front of her. Then, shockingly fast, before anyone had the time to prepare themselves, she flung the three Cards into the air and cried out their names.

"_Power! Arrow!"_

An explosion of force rocked the room, making Mei Ling gasp for air. This was not the Cards as she knew them – their shapes were unformed, unfocused except for a faint echo in the back of the mind. The rush of maddened energy in the room slowly condensed into a needle-thin ray of light, transfixing Sakura and Yukito on its beam. Over the hum of power, Mei Ling heard the faint cry of _"Libra!"_ and felt the magic stabilising, evening out through the room.

Touya was kneeling, eyes slitted against the huge onrush of magic, but fixed firmly on Yukito, who seemed unable to move. Sakura was the centre of a tornado, a whirl of light that passed through the table and furniture like a ghost, but which ruffled hair and seemed to tug at the skin. Mei Ling could feel Tomoyo's fingers on hers, clutching her hand like a lifeline, but the sensation was far away, as if she was watching it from outside her mind.

Sounding a long way off, Sakura's voice was nevertheless strong as she shrieked, _"Create! Twin!"_

This was it. No turning back now. As the shape of the book began to materialise in the air, Mei Ling leapt up and grabbed it, seeing as she did two tiny shapes burrow their way into the parchment – the Twin.

Without reaching the sofa she simply fell to the floor, rifling the book with shaking hands. A pen had appeared in her fingers – from where, she couldn't tell. And then, as she felt Tomoyo kneel beside her, she began to write.

_Yue… Yue… Yue…_

She wrote how she first saw him – remote and graceful, tall, beautiful, hair like silver flax and eyes like shards of violet ice – commanding, stern, quiet; someone to speak to in a hushed voice, someone to regard with a wary admiration.

Tomoyo let out a gasp that no-one heard as an outline, all in white light, was sketched in the air beside Yukito.

Mei Ling's hand flew. Now she was writing different things, things that were making the outline flush with colour, become real, become _human._

The way his hair glinted in the moonlight, as if it was not just _in_ the light, but _of_ it… The way his jaw set when she knew he was unhappy or suppressing his feelings… The way he rarely looked her in the eye but when he did, it was like lightning… the faint glow of his skin by the light of the single candle on the boards between them in the old park bandstand… the way he spoke softly, and the faint tremor she had come to recognise as he spoke his mistress's name…

From his place next to Yukito, Touya gaped at the shining silhouette taking shape in the middle of the room. Sakura's eyes were narrowed with intensity, but she held firm, the Sealing Staff not swaying an inch. And still Mei Ling wrote, her hand like a wing at the end of her arm, not even knowing how she was moving so fast, as if the words were writing _her._

The fire in his eyes as they bickered, and then the swift smile he would give when she realised he was enjoying it – a smile like a sudden light illuminating a landscape that until then had been completely dark, a landscape that took her breath away… his hand on her shoulder at the gate of her house… the crinkle that appeared between his brows when he frowned… the almost-not-there dimple that rose like a shadow at the side of one of those rare smiles… the lilt in his voice that she now knew meant he wanted her to tease him…

_Yue… Yue… Yue…_

Give him a body; his own; no more living off others. To do with what he will, made by magic but not magic in itself. Give him a false form like Ruby's, that only changes the outside, not the in…

Yukito and the blinding shape beside him were now the centre of a magical storm, and as it raged, Sakura's voice rang out once more: "Illusion! _Change!"_

Wings sprang from the two figures; they grew and solidified, twisting, winding, until Yukito and the silver silhouette were wrapped in the cocoon. Syaoran's hands were tight on Sakura's shoulders; she was shaking, trembling, her face white, her legs weak.

"_Sword!"_

A searing flash of light split the room in half…

The wings parted…

_Two_ bodies stood there, wreathed in light…

"_LOCK!"_

Mei Ling was thrown back by the explosion of magic, rolling into the sofa, face-down. The Sealing Staff clattered on the floor as Sakura dropped it and collapsed. And then everything was quiet, apart from the ragged breaths.

Slowly, she looked up. Her vision was foggy. She rubbed her eyes, feeling a biting ache in her wrist and fingers.

The rest of the group were stirring. One by one they got to their knees, and every eye was drawn to the two figures in the centre of the ring. Touya was already cradling Yukito, nearly weeping with relief – his caramel eyes were open, blinking with tiredness. And beside him…

Yue.

He was still, his face covered by his hair. The body was most definitely real – the porcelain skin looked firm and solid. There was also quite a lot of it, as Mei Ling realised with a flush that he was naked. Touya was already pulling the throw off the back of the sofa to cover him.

Slowly he moved, and lifted his head. His eyes were wide and his lips parted, breathing fast. He gazed down at his hands, felt his fingers, and then looked up.

For the first time ever, Yue and Yukito laid eyes on eachother.

The silence in the room was like the world holding its breath.

Yue stood up carefully, holding the couch-throw about his waist. There wasn't a millimetre difference in their heights. He reached out and with one pale finger, touched Yukito's cheek. A small "Oh!" escaped Yukito's lips.

Sakura staggered to her feet, helped by Syaoran. Her mouth was open in wonder. Kero padded up, in a similar state; "Yue!" he whispered, his voice hushed. Tomoyo squeezed Mei Ling's hand, feeling it quiver with excitement.

Yue began to smile. And then, blissfully, he began to laugh. A pure, joyful sound that shattered the silence like a mirror, sparkling in every corner.

The spell was finished. And it had worked.

* * *

Much later, Mei Ling couldn't sleep.

The spell had sapped a great deal of her strength, but she simply couldn't close her eyes. Too much was whirling round her head. She hadn't realised how worried she'd been – the overhanging threat of Yue and Yukito's separation, the engagement party… it had all been too much. The success of the spell had halved her troubles, but had left her mind in overdrive.

She was curled on the window-seat with a blanket round her shoulders, looking out at the moon. Waxing gibbous. It would be full within the next week. The breeze was up, blowing wisps of cloud through the sky. She tried to tell herself she wasn't looking for anything. Especially not wings.

Nonetheless, as if her feet were moving of their own accord, she slid down from the windowsill, grabbed her cardigan from the back of the chair, slipped her feet into her shoes, and was out the front door before she realised what she was doing. Her footsteps were crisp on the dark paving stones. She was heading towards the park, of course. She didn't even need to think about it.

The events of the last few hours were replaying in her head. Yue was now totally and completely separate from Yukito; that much was obvious. It was strange, the things that had come out in the time after the spell, when no-one could keep their questions to themselves. Yukito had admitted that it felt as if there was an empty space in his mind. And Mei Ling guessed, although he didn't speak much about it, that Yue would find it hard not to have an unreachable hiding place to retreat to every time he couldn't face the world. There was a lot to get used to.

And then there was Yue's false form…

"_Try!" Kero urged, pawing the ground in his eagerness. "We made the spell so it would give you a body like Ruby Moon's – you should be able to change into a new false form. Go on!"_

_Yue hesitated. He was plainly still apprehensive. The clothes he had borrowed from Touya looked strange on him – not bad, just unfamiliar. Tentatively, he closed his eyes – and up came the wings, out poured the light._

_When they lowered, five people and one Sun Guardian gasped in surprise._

_The height was the same, as were the sculptured features and the flawless skin, but Yue's silver hair was a third of its length, only just brushing the middle of his back. His cat-slit pupils, so disconcerting to the unwary, had become rounded, set in an iris that was no less piercing for being soft cloud-grey rather than violet-edged ice. The effect these few small changes had on his overall appearance was astonishing – though no less striking, it was a human face, not a Guardian's. _

Mei Ling stopped walking. She had reached the bandstand.

She peered into the gloom between the pillars, half-expecting to see a white figure in the dim light. But there wasn't. She sat on the boards, shivering slightly. She wasn't here for any particular reason. She certainly wasn't _waiting_ for anything. Or anyone. She just wanted a nighttime walk, and this was one of her favourite places in Tomoeda. It didn't mean anything.

She wrapped the cardigan round her body more tightly, even though it was spring, and the air was mild.

Five minutes passed. Ten. She thought about the engagement party; would Yue come? Had he found what he was seeking? How had the separation affected his feelings for Sakura? Or his feelings for… anything else?

Tomoyo had left the Kinomoto's with her, the two walking through town together. They had said little, but Mei Ling knew the other girl would understand something of the whirl her mind was in. The spell had effected all of them in some way. It gave her some comfort to know that she had a confidante in Tomoyo.

After a while, she looked at her watch. Half an hour.

This would change things beyond recognition for Yukito, too. He would finally be his own person, and not the by-product of another's creations. He would be free to do as he pleased, with Touya at his side.

Another fifteen minutes…

She stood up. She could no longer pretend she wasn't waiting for him.

"Yue…?" she called softly.

The only answer was the wind in the trees. Away over the park, the town clock started chiming midnight.

She turned towards the gates, hating the lump that was forming in her throat.

For the first time ever, he hadn't come.

* * *

**Rumms: **:(

Yue, you heartless wassock! How _could_ yue? See what I did there? Man, I need to lay off the gin and tonics.

I would like to take the time here to thank you all for reviewing. First, I would like to say that you are all incredibly kind, and your reviews make me feel like a sparkly ball of fluff. I appreciate every single one. In fact I can't believe this story has even as much as it does, because it's my baby crackpairing and hey, crackpairings tend to be alienating. So thank you so, so much for all the support - it's because of you that I write!

And a quick note to **AngelEmCuti **particularly **- **Your review made me extremely happy, because it was exactly the kind of thing I was hoping would happen! That people would read this, and find themselves liking it despite the fact it's not their OTP. So thank you for branching out into the corner of weirdness that it Mei Ling x Yue! It's pretty cool over here. We have champagne and everything.

Next chapter will probably be the last! Ooh!

Love! from R. xx


	5. Chapter 5

******Rumms: **Mon dieu, le dernier chapitre! *sob*

* * *

An Unlikely Twosome - Chapter Five

* * *

The clouds scudded across a nearly-full moon, huge on a horizon that held the quiet stillness of impending morning. The day of the engagement party had come.

In the cool pre-dawn air, Kero settled on the roof of Yukito's house next to a familiar figure.

"Holding up alright?" he asked Yue casually.

The Moon Guardian looked more human than Kero could ever remember, and not just because he was in his new false form. "I… don't know," he whispered.

Kero felt a little stab of alarm. "What's wrong? It's not the spell, is it? It hasn't gone wrong?"

"No," Yue said, the ghost of a smile playing around his lips. "The spell was perfect; it's worked beyond my wildest dreams."

Kero drew his wings about his small body. "You know," he mused, "I'm tempted to ask Sakura to do the same for me. Sometimes having a human form sounds pretty neat."

Yue raised his eyebrows. "I'd wait a little before asking, Cerberus," he aid dryly. "I'm not sure our spell team would appreciate going through all that again just one week later."

"So if it's not the spell, what is it?" Kero pressed doggedly. He was sure he had a pretty good idea what 'it' was, but if Yue wasn't going to play ball, he'd just have to drag it out of him the hard way.

Yue looked at his hands folded in his lap, his face twisted with emotion. "I think… I have made a mistake," he said falteringly.

Kero waited.

"I've been confused, and selfish. I wanted to make sure of exactly what had changed within me, and so I did something that may have caused hurt. Or rather, I _didn't_ do something." He paused, his voice quiet. "I didn't go, Kero."

Kero was way too impatient to be subtle. Anyway, it was a bit cold on the roof to be expositing for hours. "Look, Yue, what is it you're getting at? Because to be honest, it's getting a bit fresh out here and I don't want to get goosebumps."

Yue rolled his eyes, but slipped his legs back into the skylight. "Very well; come indoors. Don't wake Yukito, though."

"Good grief," Kero said, impressed. He followed him into the warm glow of the attic bedroom. "You didn't even snap at me. That spell really _has_ changed you."

"It wasn't the spell." Yue grinned for a moment – Yue, _grinning?_ – but it faded quickly, a troubled frown replacing it as his thoughts returned to whatever was bothering him. "I… I don't know what to do. I feel freer than I ever have done in my life, but it's… vast. Frightening. And lonely."

Kero could hardly believe it was Yue saying these things. When had he last talked about being afraid? He couldn't even remember. "You're your own person now, Yue, but that doesn't mean you have to be _alone_. That's why everyone surrounds themselves with people they love. Family. Friends."

Yue took a deep breath. "Yes. Friends. But I've made a mistake, Kero – and now I have to find out whether I'll be forgiven, or whether it has cost me the best thing that I could have wished for."

Kero was lost in a sea of riddles. He tried to think of a suitably grave response.

"So…" he said finally, "…does this mean you're coming to the party tonight?"

Yue laughed despite himself. He looked out of the window to where the sky was turning pale gold with sunrise. "Coming?" he said softly, with an enigmatic smile. "Of course I'm coming, Cerberus. I would not miss it for the world."

* * *

"Are you ready?" whispered Tomoyo, reaching over to adjust the straps of Mei Ling's dress, the twin of her own. Home-tailored to Tomoyo's perfectionist standards, of course.

"I think so," Mei Ling murmured nervously, looking at the heavy curtain before them. Behind it, the babble of voices was loud and widespread. Sakura had decided to hold the party in Tomoeda Park, erecting a makeshift stage especially for the occasion. "How many people did Sakura invite to this thing?" she demanded, feeling stage fright take hold. "The entire damn town?"

Tomoyo giggled. "Just about. Come on, Mei Ling, you'll be fine. I'll take the lead. This song is beautiful; it would be a crime if you backed out now."

Mei Ling took a deep breath. "All right," she acquiesced. "I'm game. Bring it on."

Tomoyo smiled, and squeezed her hand.

The curtain went up.

A huge cheer greeted them. Tomoyo walked to the microphone with grace and dignity. Mei Ling followed, feeling rather less graceful and dignified, to the piano.

She sat down; the crowd quietened. Nervously, she began to play the opening notes.

_Oh god,_ she thought, _was this really such a good idea?_

The words came easily as they sang in harmony; after all, she had sung this in her head a hundred times before. But as the familiar lines washed over her, it brought with it all the heartbreak and disappointment of the last eight years.

As they swept through the first verse, she glanced out into the crowd and caught a glimpse of Syaoran, his arms entwined around Sakura, leaning in for a kiss.

Suddenly hot tears blurred her vision. She snapped her head back to the music stand, furiously willing them away. _Not now, not now, __**please**_ _not now!_ If there was a worst time and place in the entire _world_ to break down, this was it. The mere thought made her cringe.

She forced herself to breathe mechanically, her fingers on autopilot, picking out the simple melody she had written nearly two years ago. Her voice still sounded steady; that was good. If she could only make it until the end of the song…

Tentatively, she glanced up again, making sure it wasn't in the direction of the happy couple, and found herself looking at a face that she had _definitely_ not expected to see.

Silver hair glinted gently in the light that fell from the stage. He was looking at her levelly, his cool grey eyes soft, and as she watched he gave a small smile. A smile of quiet encouragement and understanding.

Suddenly, she knew she could make it through this.

Her voice strong again, entwining with Tomoyo's, she rallied. It was alright. She could do this. She could make it to the end, no problem. Just two minutes, and then the barrage of discarded dreams could do their worst.

The last verse, and the chorus repeated twice…

They sang the final words, harmony in thirds, and held to a soft trailoff. Mei Ling gently touched through the ending notes, and the song was finished, holding on a moment of silence.

And then the noise came.

The applause was wild. Sakura and Syaoran were in the front row, their faces shining with love and happiness. Mei Ling smiled, took Tomoyo's hand, and bowed. Three times, before the crowd would let them go. She turned, the smile fixed to her face like a mask, and walked lightly behind the curtain.

Not hearing Tomoyo's call, she picked her way around the back, through the lead cables and the light rigging, down the steps at the side of the makeshift stage, and onto the gravel path that wound into the park. The smile slowly began to crumble, like bad plaster. She stepped off the path onto the cool, dewy grass, and crossed the short space to the old bandstand, almost hidden in gloom.

When she got there, she sat down on the wooden boards and cried.

It was as if everything she had kept in all through the song, all day, all the last three weeks, all her _life_ – had suddenly broken its dam and was pouring out with no way to stop. All she could do was stand in the storm, let it batter her, let wave after wave of tears choke her until there was nothing left to cry.

She could hardly even tell what the tears were for. For Syaoran, of course, but also for something more abstract – the years of her life revolving around him that were now a lost part of her, cut off forever. There was a quote, wasn't there? _The past is a foreign country. They do things differently there._

As the storm subsided, bit by bit, she felt someone sit on the bench beside her. In any other circumstance, she might be nervous – after all, they hadn't spoken since the transformation, and he hadn't come last time she had waited for him – but somehow, it was all washed away in the tidal wave that was now sweeping over her.

Yue's voice was a whisper. "I cannot bear to see you like this."

Against all odds, Mei Ling laughed.

The tears kept coming, but they were different now. She leaned her head back against the wooden pillar, eyes closed, cheeks wet and a smile tugging her lips. "D'you know… I think I've cried all the sadness out of me. Today was what I needed. It's all catharsis now. I'm just crying for _memories_, that's all. A life that never happened. It's all right to mourn something like that, isn't it?"

The voice was still quiet. "Yes, it is. I have done it many times."

"You finish a book you really loved, and you're sad it's over, but you close it up and put it on the shelf and get on with your life. And sometimes you might take it down and re-read bits, but you've read it before, and it never quite feels the same. Why not find a new book to get lost in, one that lasts longer? Why live your whole life re-reading a few memories, when…" she took a deep breath, "when there's something new and _real_ and so much _better_ waiting on the shelf right next to it?"

In her heightened emotional state, she suddenly wondered whether she'd gone too far, been too obvious. She found she didn't care. The shape of Yue leaned back, slowly, until he was resting against the pillar next to her.

After a short silence, he said lightly, "I have been re-reading the same old book all my life. I think I might take a trip to the library."

Mei Ling laughed again, this time at the image of Yue in full Moon Guardian regalia arguing with a stern-faced librarian about late returns. The sudden comedy of the picture meant she missed the ulterior meaning of his statement. "Look me in the eye and say you wouldn't crystal-attack the library staff when they tried to give you a fine."

She realised that Yue _was_ looking her in the eye, even though she hadn't returned the favour yet. She raised her glance to his face, and took a sharp intake of breath.

"What is it?" Yue asked with a hint of worry. Probably wondering if she was going to start sobbing again, Mei Ling thought wryly.

"…Your eyes. I haven't got used to them yet."

Yue put a hand to the corner of one eye, smiling a little. "Do you prefer the slit pupils?"

"Well, the normal pupils _do_ make you look a lot different. But I didn't actually mean the shape." It was out before she could even stop herself. Damn it, but she was a liability tonight.

Yue looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Might as well go the whole hog. "Something's changed. Before, even if you smiled, it didn't really reach your eyes. It's different now. There's no shield, no barrier. You just look… happy. Content." She shrugged, covering the significance of the words.

When she met his eyes again, his gaze was so piercing and unguarded that her heart skipped a beat. A smile flitted across his face, getting stronger and stronger until his eyes practically flashed with it. When he spoke, it was uncharacteristically husky, and for a mad moment she thought that he was having just as much difficulty controlling his emotions as she was. "Is that so?"

There were laws of dramatic narrative that practically _demanded_ she lean towards him then, but even though her body was screaming _do it, you idiot, do it, do it!_, her nerves got the better of her. After all, she was pretty much a wreck right now. She could be misreading signals. Definitely. _Almost_ definitely. Probably, anyway. She stood up instead, walking to the wooden steps and looking towards the bright lights of the party ground, trying to get a hold of herself.

She was pleased to hear that when she spoke, her voice was totally calm, light, sardonic. "I might have had more chance to get used to it if I'd seen more of you."

She heard him stand, too. "I… wanted to talk to you about that. I didn't come out to meet you. Forgive me – I was confused, and the spell had been so recent. My mind was a mess of thoughts and feelings and…" he broke off, sighing, sounding truly troubled. "Forgive me."

Mei Ling turned to look at him, startled by his tone. "I thought…" she began, even though her better judgement was begging her not to make a fool of herself this way, "...I thought it was because you didn't really want to meet up any more. You know, because you changed. Maybe you just needed someone to talk to before the spell, and then when it went off without a hitch, there wasn't really any point any more. You didn't need it," she said in a rush. As she spoke the words, all the fears she'd tried to keep below the surface for the last week pushed their way out. That he had only wanted a sympathetic ear; that it didn't matter if it was her or anyone else. That she had been imagining it when she thought he enjoyed their fiery bickering and silent understanding. That Tomoyo had been wrong about his motives. That she'd got carried away.

He took an involuntary step forward, his face a peculiar twist of emotions. "You thought I didn't wish to continue our friendship? That I was _bored_ of you now I am my own person?"

"I don't know," she said with a spark of defiance, tilting her chin up. "You tell me."

For a moment, it looked like he was in pain, before a hint of anger seeped through. "I changed my _body._ I am not a different person. It was my fault, I know; my thoughts were in chaos and I didn't feel ready to speak to anyone. I should have at least come and explained. But do you really think so badly of me that all those nights meant _nothing?"_ He paused, his usually graceful posture tense. "Have I changed so much?"

"I'm not sure," Mei Ling conceded softly. "That's for you to answer. The most important thing is that you're happy. And…" she hesitated. "And that you got what you wanted."

Yue raised his eyes to her. "What I wanted?"

"Yes. You had another motive in all this, if you remember. A theory to prove, I suppose, about Clow's plan for Yukito and Sakura. Did it turn out the way you thought?" This was it, she thought. She'd put all her cards on the table.

There was a pause.

"I love Sakura," Yue said simply.

Mei Ling turned away, unable to speak. She kept her face a carefully calm mask of indifference, but a bubble of misery rose in her throat; an iron hand threatened to close around her heart. What had she expected? She'd gotten carried away. Her conversation with Tomoyo had made her see things that were never there. Such a stupid, stupid girl…

"I love Sakura," Yue repeated behind her. "She is an extraordinarily beautiful, kind, courageous, compassionate person. She taught me to see the light again. I will always be loyal to her; I will always be her Guardian."

Mei Ling felt as if her world was crashing down around her. _Keep calm. Don't show a thing. Wait until it's over, then walk away._

"I am not, however," Yue continued softly, _"in_ love with her."

The silence was so loud it was like a vacuum.

Mei Ling closed her eyes, her heart thumping.

She could see it perfectly. In one second, she was going to turn around – no, _swish_ around, the skirt of her dress swirling around her legs like Ginger Rogers' – and some romantic music was going to reach a crescendo in the background, and she was going to say "You _bastard."_ It was a movie-perfect moment.

She managed the _swish_, but failed on the line. Reason being, he was closer than she'd thought. She got as far as "You _b_-mmgthurthm", because the way he was looking at her made her weak at the knees.

"I realised something over the last month, when I forced myself to face everything I had pushed away," Yue whispered, his voice hoarse again, oblivious to her failed admonishment. "I realised that there was no-one who speaks to me the way you do. Who lets me tease them, who doesn't let me get away with what I shouldn't, who can lift my mood when I don't know how, who treats me like an _equal. _I realised that whatever strange quirk threw us together, you make me feel more human than anyone else has ever done, even before the spell made it a reality. And the more I tried not to, the more I couldn't stop thinking about you."

He took a step closer, making Mei Ling's heart beat double. "I'm not asking for anything. I don't expect you to feel the same. I don't even know if I should be saying anything at all. But I'm so _tired_ of being in the shadows, of being patient, of keeping quiet – I had to tell you. I _wanted _to tell you."

Another step. "Do you know when the turning point was? In the spell, when you wrote me. It was everywhere; it was inside my head, bringing me together, making me _real._ When I saw myself through your eyes, I realised what I was missing. What I might _lose_ if I didn't do something."

He moved even closer, as if he couldn't help himself. They were almost touching now; she could hear how quick his breath was. She wondered whether he could hear her heart crashing against her chest so violently that she was sure it was going to leap right out.

"One word," he murmured, almost pleading. "One word is all I need. I'll go, I'll stay, I'll do whatever you want. _Mei Ling…"_

He broke off as she looked up, right into his eyes. Her name on his lips had sent a jolt like an electrical storm through her. It would hardly have been surprising if sparks had jumped between them.

"I think," Mei Ling said, very softly but very clearly, "That I might borrow you from the library for a while. Would you mind?"

For one moment he stared at her, his cloud-grey eyes wide. Then his mouth twitched up in a smile, and then he started laughing – a gorgeous, purely joyful sound – which was cut off as soon as she wound her arms around his neck and crushed his lips to hers.

It was even better than she could have believed.

With lightning response his hands were on her waist – he pulled her to him as if he was drinking her in. Her lips felt electrified where they touched him; she could feel him smiling against her mouth, unable to stop. It felt playful, it felt fierce. Requited. Equal.

They parted, gasping. It took a moment to recover. Yue smiled a crooked, sly smile that was so new, yet somehow so _him _– she had seen glimpses of it before, pre-spell, but it was a mere shadow of the real thing. He was free, and he had chosen her.

More importantly, she'd chosen him back.

"I hope I don't have to return you," she purred. "I'll probably rack up quite a fine."

He grinned, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes, making her heart skip yet another beat. "Am I to understand you don't mind re-reading me when you've finished?"

"Oh, come on," she scolded. "You're mixing up my metaphor. You're only re-reading a book when you're rehashing old memories that can't move any further. Everything about _this_ book, I'm reading for the first time. Frankly, I hope it never ends."

Yue rolled his eyes. "I shall bypass the metaphor, if you don't mind. It's getting too complicated. Am I allowed to simply declare my intentions without the purple prose?"

Mei Ling raised an eyebrow. Over the dim grass, she could hear music drifting from the stage once more. "And what _are_ your intentions?"

The mischievous smile played around his lips once more. She caught her breath.

"Dance with me," he said.

He held out his hand. Mei Ling took it, and he pulled her towards the crowd.

* * *

Five people – to be specific; Sakura, Syaoran, Touya, Yukito and Eriol – stared at the dance-floor with jaws to the ground.

"Well," Eriol said finally, breaking the shocked silence. "Things have _certainly_ changed around here."

Yue and Mei Ling were dancing. Their arms were wound around each other, their eyes locked together – as the others watched, Yue spun her around and dipped her; she was laughing, and so was he, the most purely joyful sound Kero had heard from his brother since their days with Clow. The two seemed so completely lost in each other that watching them felt almost intimate. There was a fierce kind of bliss in both their eyes that made their surroundings seem blurred, inconsequential.

The difference of expressions along the row was so vast as to be comical. Touya looked as if he was recovering from concussion. On the other side, Tomoyo, Kero and Yukito were openly grinning, the only people who had glimpsed any kind of clue that this was coming. Sakura was slowly turning from bafflement to excitement, and Syaoran was spluttering with incoherent indignity.

"But, it's _Yue!"_ he stammered. "Mei Ling and _Yue! _Have I just stepped into some weird parallel world or something? Since when have they even been _friends?"_

"You were never very good at paying attention, kid," Kero said offhandedly. "They've been meeting up sneakily since last year. If you want my opinion – which," he winked, "anyone in the world undoubtedly _would_, this spell business was what Yue needed to finally realise what was right in front of his nose."

"But they're –" It was a mark of Syaoran's astonishment that he totally overlooked Kero's insult. "It's _Mei Ling _and_ Yue!"_

"Let's not be a dog in the manger, Syaoran," Tomoyo murmured, cutting to the heart of the matter as she usually did.

"I'm not being a –" Syaoran hissed, then hesitated. "I'm not, am I?"

"Mei Ling is the happiest I've ever seen her. That's what you want, isn't it?"

"Of course I do," Syaoran said awkwardly. "It's just that he's… well, he's…" he stopped again, confusion halting his words.

Sakura had recovered, and was practically jumping with excitement. "This is so amazing! Syaoran, isn't it wonderful? Don't they look happy?"

Kero stifled a laugh, leaving the thunderstruck line of friends and beginning the demolition of the pudding table.

On the dance floor, mindful of the stir they were causing, Mei Ling and Yue grinned at each other.

"Do you think we should go over and put them out of their misery?" Mei Ling smirked. "Anyway, they're next to the refreshment table; I want to share a glass of champagne with you."

"I've only had you to myself for five minutes. They can wait."

"The night is young," Mei Ling teased. She looked up, and exclaimed in surprise. "Look, a full moon!" She turned her gaze back to Yue, whose lips were curving into a sly smile. "That wouldn't have anything to do with you, now, would it?"

"I cannot possibly fathom what you mean," he said lightly, effortlessly avoiding her mock-accusatory glare. And before she could say any more, he drew her close and sealed her lips with his.

Mei Ling heard the resulting explosion of excited and incredulous chatter from the group by the table, and smiled into the kiss, letting the world float away. Above, the moon blazed like a beacon.

They danced until the small hours, and the moon didn't set until they stopped.

* * *

**Rumms: **So, I finally finished this little 'ficlet' that ended up taking a year and a half to write! I swear, these supposed quickfics take twice as long as the big epics. I'd blame it on moving, new job etc, but we all know I'm just a lazy ho.

I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has given this pairing a chance. I thought it was just my crazy plotbunny, but since I started, all kinds of fans have been coming out of the woordwork! I can't wait to see what people come up with - I'm retiring my Yue/MeiLing crown for the time being, so it belongs to whoever snaps it up first!

To everyone who reviewed; it means more to me than I can say :) Thank you for taking the time to write a few lines for me. **Allyrian,** welcome to the party, and thanks for the favourties! Help yourself to champagne :D I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Ok, so I got all gooey and romantic. Sue me! Gooey romance is awesome and you know it. In the words of the immortal T-Rex, "I'm giving a 'thumbs up'!"

/geek

:p

xx


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